If you’re going on an extended trip and will be away from a wall outlet for a few days, Anker’s large capacity PowerCore 20100 can keep your phone powered up (and help prevent social media withdrawal).

9.6Total Score

Excellent

Offering one of the highest capacities in their lineup, Anker's PowerCore 20100 incorporates PowerIQ technology for adapting to basically any device that is plugged in to it. "VoltageBoost" helps overcome electrical resistance from some third-party cables, delivering a fast charge to your device.

Performance

10

Design

9.5

Features

9

Safety

10

PROS

Recharges most smartphones about 7 to 8 times

PowerIQ provides higher output to charge tablets

Slim design for a large capacity

CONS

No QuickCharge technology

PROs

20,100mAh capacity: This is one of Anker’s larger units. The 20,100mAh of power is enough to recharge an iPhone about 7-8 times and an iPad about 2 times. This makes the unit great to have on hand when you’re traveling or camping and you won’t have access to a power outlet for a few days.

What’s new with “PowerCore”? If you’re familiar with Anker’s products, you may be wondering what’s new with the “PowerCore” line. Anker’s PowerCore batteries feature new Panasonic battery cells and a matte finish (as compared to the shiny finish on the Astro line). They also feature “VoltageBoost” to send a more stable current through your charging cable, even if it’s not an OEM cable (but for best performance, always try to use the original charging cable or an MFi-certified cable).

Compact size: The PowerCore 20,100 has a smooth, matte finish. It’s not a fingerprint-magnet like some of Anker’s earlier power banks. While it may be too big for your pocket, it fits nicely in a backpack or laptop bag. Note that even though it’s compact, it does have some weight to it.

PowerIQ: This smart identification technology from Anker means that the unit can adapt to basically any device you plug it into it. In my video, you can see that the PowerIQ port provides 1 amp to my iPhone 5S, which is the maximum it can handle. I then use the same port with my iPad Air 2 and the Anker unit adapts, providing the 2 amp charge that my iPad needs to fast charge.

2 USB ports: This allows you to charge two devices at the same time, with each port receiving up to 2 amps. For example, you could charge your phone and a tablet at the same time, or you could share the second port with a friend to charge both of your phones simultaneously.

2 amp input: An external battery with this 20,100mAh capacity could take about a whole day (24+ hours) to fully recharge if using a computer USB port or a phone charger. However, this Anker unit has a 2 amp input, so it can charge about twice as fast (approximately 12 hours). You will need a 2 amp charger to get the fastest charging speed, such as the charging brick that comes with an iPad or one of Anker’s own USB desktop chargers. Don’t worry if you only have a 1 amp charger (like the charger that came with your phone) as it will still recharge this Anker unit, just at a slower rate.

Charge gauge: Tapping the power button on the side of the unit shows the remaining capacity of the Anker unit using 4 blue LEDs. This makes it easy to see if you need to charge the unit before your next trip.

18-month warranty: I used Anker’s customer service one time in the past when I had an issue with a charger and they were friendly and efficient.

CONs

Lightning cable not included: If you have an iPhone, you’ll need to use one of your own Lightning cables as one is not included with this PowerCore unit. It does come with a Micro USB cable which can be used to recharge the PowerCore itself and most Android phones.

AC charger not included: This is typical with most power banks, but I thought I would point out that there is no AC charger included with this unit. You can likely use the power brick that came with your phone or tablet. In a pinch you could use your computer’s USB ports, but recharging can be extremely slow from a computer USB port (especially if it is an older USB 2.0 port).

Anker’s known for their high quality power banks, and the new PowerCore line from Anker is no exception. The solid construction and powerful performance in this PowerCore unit is great for keeping your gadgets charged while you’re on the go. And I like the huge 20,100mAh capacity as it will coming in handy for extended camping trips.